


Skywarp's Solution: Intermission

by anon_decepticon



Series: Seekersmut [6]
Category: Transformers, Transformers Generation One
Genre: Angst, Bondage, Comfort Sex, Dominance/submission, Dubious Consent, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Robot Sex, Slash, Sticky, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-01
Updated: 2010-05-01
Packaged: 2017-10-09 22:51:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/92462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anon_decepticon/pseuds/anon_decepticon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Left in the lurch by their usual partners, Thundercracker and Starscream...commiserate.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Skywarp's Solution: Intermission

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer**: I don't own Transformers.  
> **Warning(s)**: Sticky, dub-con, violence, mild bondage and D/s, Starscream being Starscream.  
> As promised, here's that TC/Starscream scene that took place between Phase One and Phase Two of _"Skywarp's Solution."_ Thundercracker's PoV. Apologies for the lame non-title; I couldn't think of a better one. _Phase Two_ of _"Skywarp's Solution"_ takes place the morning after this scene, and may read a little differently in retrospect.

**Skywarp's Solution: Intermission**

Thundercracker's footsteps echoed hollowly as he exited the docking bay and stalked briskly down the corridor, the sullen glow of his optics painting the darkened halls of the _Nemesis_ a dusky crimson as he sought to rein in the foul temper the day's battle had left him in.

A sharp twinge of pain shot through his sensor net with every stride, but he didn't slacken his pace. The damage to his right wing was negligible, the result of a glancing blow from a chunk of debris rendered airborne when Megatron's latest superweapon exploded. Compared to the sting of yet another defeat at the hands of the Autobots, the pain was barely worth noticing.

Frustration and discontent rippled through him as he walked. _Slagging ground-pounders,_ he thought grimly. _Slagging _Earth.

It had been like this ever since they'd crash-landed on this pathetic mudball of a planet; instead of dominating the skies and crushing all who dared oppose them, they'd been stuck in this perpetual stalemate, this seemingly endless cycle of advance and retreat, never gaining any lasting ground. Something – call it luck, call it fate – had seen fit to deny the Decepticons their rightful place in the universe, snatching victory after victory from their grasp and delivering it into the hands of their unworthy foes.

Thundercracker rumbled in irritation. He was a _Seeker,_ for Primus' sake, one of Cybertron's warrior elite! Once upon a time, that had _meant_ something. He'd had a purpose, a reason for being. He'd known who and what he was.

Hit and run battles, energon raids – he'd joined the Decepticons to _avoid_ that ignoble fate, not to _embrace_ it.

It all seemed so…pointless.

He shook his helm, scowling. He'd been down this mental road before. There was nothing to be gained in reviving the same old internal debate.

_'Warp was right,_ he thought wryly. _You think too much._

The thought of Skywarp sent a flare of lust through his systems, heating his circuits and sending his core temperature climbing. A good frag would help take the edge off; it always did. Slowing his pace, he cast a sultry look back across his shoulder-vent, a low, suggestive rumble emerging from his vocalizer.

The sight of the empty corridor brought a puzzled frown to his lip components. He'd been expecting to find Skywarp hot on his heel-thrusters, fired up and eager to 'face, but 'Warp was nowhere to be seen.

Thundercracker shook his helm, suppressing a chuckle. Knowing Skywarp, he'd probably teleported directly to their quarters and was now lying in wait, ready to pounce on Thundercracker the moment he walked through the door.

He grinned as he resumed his former course, rumbling in amusement. 'Warp might have even started without him. His strides lengthened as his CPU brought up a visual of Skywarp sprawled out on the berth, too wound up to wait – his legs splayed wide, his panel open, fingers buried deep in his valve – and felt his circuits spark in anticipation.

The rhythmic clank of approaching footsteps interrupted his increasingly lusty thoughts, and he turned instinctively towards the sound, his grin broadening when his optic sensors identified the unmistakable silhouette of a Seeker.

'Warp must have decided to walk back after all.

Thundercracker waited for him, a low rumble of eagerness escaping his vocalizer as Skywarp drew closer, noting with appreciation his graceful-yet-powerful stride, the way his proud wingspan took up nearly half the corridor –

_Mine,_ he thought with satisfaction. _Yours._

He was on the verge of activating his vocalizer to greet him when his optics belatedly registered 'Warp's paint scheme was all wrong, white and crimson instead of purple-accented black –

_Starscream._

"What are _you_ looking at?" Starscream demanded, glowering at him resentfully.

For a moment Thundercracker could only stare at him blankly, too startled by Starscream's sudden appearance to vocalize a coherent reply. The last time Thundercracker had seen him, Starscream had been cowering at Megatron's feet, soon to be subject to the full brunt of their leader's considerable ire.

Thundercracker didn't understand why Starscream felt compelled to challenge Megatron as often as he did, but as tiresome as those frequent altercations were, for once he'd felt more relieved than annoyed when Starscream had started running his vocalizer again. With Megatron's attention focused on Starscream, the odds of Thundercracker being summoned to his quarters tonight were slim.

His gaze raked hastily over Starscream's frame, noting with alarm that it appeared undamaged – but if Starscream was _here_, where was _Megatron!?_

"_Well?_" Starscream snapped impatiently, obviously irked by Thundercracker's failure to respond.

Still reeling over the implications of Starscream's unexpected presence in the corridor, it took Thundercracker another astrosecond to remember what the question was. "N-nothing," he stammered. "I was just –"

"You're waiting for _him_, aren't you?" Starscream spat disdainfully, his lip components curling in disgust. Not bothering to wait for Thundercracker's reply, he scoffed and added, "Well, you're wasting your time. He's not coming."

"What are you talking about?" Thundercracker asked, frowning in confusion. "Where's Skywarp?"

Starscream's faceplate twisted into a scowl. "_Skywarp_ is doing what Skywarp does _best,_" he replied acidly.

Thundercracker's frown deepened. "What do you mean?"

Starscream's lip components twitched into a mocking smirk. "He's not waiting for you," he informed him smugly. "Skywarp has _other_ plans for the evening."

"Plans?" he repeated, his spark clenching in dread. "What plans?" Was 'Warp in trouble? Had Starscream somehow redirected Megatron's wrath onto Skywarp in order to escape a beating? "What did you _do?_" he rumbled threateningly, his optics narrowing. "Where's 'Warp?"

Starscream stiffened at the accusation, drawing himself up to his full height. "_I_ didn't do anything," he replied archly. "Skywarp took it upon himself to…_reassert_ his position within the Decepticon hierarchy."

"What the frag's _that_ supposed to mean?" he demanded.

"It means as _usual_, our dear Skywarp can't tell the difference between his processor and his interface array," Starscream retorted scornfully. "Don't tell me you're actually _surprised._"

Thundercracker stared at him in disbelief. Starscream couldn't be suggesting –?

"You're lying," he argued weakly, "'Warp wouldn't do that."

"You need me to spell it out for you?" Starscream replied contemptuously. "Your precious Skywarp saw fit to interrupt _my_ discussion with Megatron in order to demand an interface from our illustrious leader, and Megatron, fool that he is, was stupid enough to agree."

Thundercracker couldn't believe his audials. He'd known 'Warp was significantly wound up when they'd parted company, but the fleeting contact they'd had in the lift had made it clear Skywarp wanted _him,_ not slagging _Megatron!_

…didn't he?

_Megatron's good in the berth,_ Skywarp had said. _Really good._

Thundercracker's spark sank. It was true. Unlike him, Skywarp _liked_ being fragged by Megatron; he'd been amazed to learn Thundercracker didn't feel the same, even been worried Thundercracker wouldn't want to 'face _him_ anymore after a single night in Megatron's berth..!

What if those assumptions were based in 'Warp's own opinions? Did Skywarp secretly _prefer_ being fragged by Megatron? Had he only been _settling_ when he'd turned to Thundercracker?

"I suppose it _could_ have been purely an act of self-preservation," Starscream sneered spitefully. "If Megatron had refused his request, I think poor Skywarp might have flooded the docking bay."

Thundercracker stared at him with unseeing optics, his sensors numb. _Why, 'Warp?_ he thought despairingly, his spark clenching in agony. _Why _him?

"You should have _seen_ the way he threw himself at him," Starscream smirked, his optics glinting with malice. "It was really quite pathetic, seeing a mech humiliate himself like that."

"Shut up, Starscream," he said tonelessly, turning away from him to continue down the corridor.

Sensing his barbs had struck home, Starscream fell into step alongside him and continued his verbal assault, voicing several more cutting observations about Skywarp's loose-paneled ways and overall idiocy, but Thundercracker paid him no heed. Nothing Starscream said could hurt him more than the pain presently gripping his spark.

He wanted to deny it, to insist that Starscream was lying, but he knew them both too well. He tried to tell himself he didn't care, that it made no difference to him who Skywarp 'faced, but the old lies were no longer convincing.

He _did_ care. He'd _always_ cared, even when he'd known he shouldn't. He'd been weak, allowed himself to become attached...

The worst part was, he should have _known_ better. He'd let Skywarp into his spark knowing full well it was madness. He'd thought somehow things would be different after they'd merged sparks, but 'Warp had said it himself – it no longer mattered who they 'faced; they could do so with impunity.

Skywarp had never promised him exclusivity. On the contrary, he'd offered Thundercracker his spark with the specific expectation that exclusivity was impossible.

'Warp had been right about that. Exclusivity wasn't even an option.

...so why did he feel so _betrayed?_

"– and Megatron is even _worse_," Starscream was saying, his tone suggesting he'd crossed over into full rant mode and was speaking more for his own benefit than his inattentive audience of one, "Skywarp is too stupid to see past his own interface array, but at least he's not leading us blithely down the path to our own destruction! As long as Megatron commands the Decepticons, we will never win this wretched war –"

"What?" Thundercracker said, halting in midstride, his helm jerking up to stare at him in surprise.

Starscream kept going, shooting an irritated glance at Thundercracker as he passed, ignoring his interruption. "I suppose it's hardly surprising for morons like _Skywarp_," he continued resentfully, "but you'd think _someone_ would have noticed by now. This entire war is nothing but a salve for Megatron's pathetic ego! He has no intention of _winning_ – our conflict defines his entire existence! Without it, he has no purpose!"

Thundercracker stared after his retreating figure in shock, his processor racing, forging a series of rapid connections. Less than a breem ago, hadn't he been asking himself how a group of elite warriors like the Decepticons could so consistently fail to defeat a ragtag group of unworthy ground-pounders like the Autobots, mechs who'd never trained in the art of war? Hadn't he wondered, as recently as yesterday, why Starscream continued to defy Megatron, enduring beating after beating in pursuit of a seemingly nihilistic quest to overthrow him and claim leadership of the Decepticons for himself?

Had Starscream actually been _right_ all along?

Shaking his helm in disbelief, Thundercracker hurried after him.

He caught up with him in the corridor outside his quarters; by then Starscream had fallen silent, but the forbidding expression stamped on his faceplate and the aggressive manner in which he punched in his locking code suggested he was continuing his tirade within the privacy of his own CPU.

Starscream offered no acknowledgment of his arrival when Thundercracker bypassed his own door to stand beside him, not even the usual baleful glare.

"How long have you known?" he asked quietly, wary of being overheard by Soundwave's Recordicon spies.

Starscream tensed almost imperceptibly, freezing in place for all of an astrosecond before turning to regard Thundercracker with a look of undisguised suspicion.

"It's been like this ever since we came out of stasis, hasn't it?" he persisted. "We just keep _losing_."

Starscream studied him for a long moment, his expression guarded and unreadable. "No," he said finally, his vocalizer dialed down equally low, softer than Thundercracker had ever heard him speak. "It's been going on far longer than that."

Thundercracker stared at him, struck more by the tone of his reply than the words that formed it. Starscream's vocalizer held none of its usual arrogant contempt, only a profound weariness laced with bitter resignation.

"How long?" he asked again, his own voice barely within audial range.

Starscream glanced around cautiously. "Not here," he said, reaching out to trigger the panel to open his door, canting his helm as it slid open to indicate that Thundercracker should precede him. "Inside."

Thundercracker complied, recalling with chagrin all the less-than-charitable things he'd thought and said about Starscream over the vorns. He trusted Starscream's judgment in the air – in all the missions they'd flown together, Thundercracker had never once had cause to question his commands – so why had it been so _easy_ to dismiss his opinions when they were on the ground?

Starscream followed him in, the door hissing shut behind him. For a moment he paused, eyeing Thundercracker with an unreadable expression, then made his way over to the energon station and began dispensing a pair of cubes.

While Starscream was occupied, Thundercracker looked around for a place to sit, glancing uncertainly between the two empty berths. Which one did Starscream normally recharge on? He couldn't tell just by looking – both appeared identical, neither showing signs of recent use. Maybe Starscream didn't have a preference, and used both equally?

In the end he opted for the one on the right, his customary position within the trine. It was the same one he'd chosen during their recent bonding session, and as he sat down he experienced a brief flicker of sensor-feedback as his CPU pulled up the memory files of the last time he'd been here.

_That_ was a little embarrassing; the surge of lust that shot through his circuits seemed highly inappropriate. He tried his best to avoid looking too closely at the memory files his processor summoned into his cache for review, struggling to suppress the sudden flush of heat suffusing his frame.

The feeling only intensified when Starscream came back and handed him an energon cube – for an astrosecond Thundercracker half-expected him to drop to his knees and start licking his panel – but he quickly quashed the memory, clamping down on his internal cooling fans to prevent them from activating.

_It's because we lost the battle,_ he thought sheepishly. _You want to bond again to make it right._

Fortunately being reminded of their recent defeat gave him something else to focus on, as did the energon Starscream had given him. He took a careful sip, noting the fuel was of good quality, and asked cautiously, "How long have you suspected?"

"Too long," Starscream replied wearily, sinking down onto the berth beside him. "Almost since the beginning. And it's been getting worse."

"You think he's doing it on purpose?" he asked. "'Cause it seems like he's been _trying_; he's always coming up with some new plan or another. It's just...none of them seem to _work._"

Starscream scoffed, shrugging dismissively, the movement causing their wingtips to scrape together. "He's not obvious about it," he said. "If he was, he'd have never gotten this far."

"You sure it's not just bad luck?" Thundercracker said, hazarding a glance in his direction.

Starscream was taking a long drink from his cube, but after a moment he lowered it again, staring silently into its depths. "Yes," he said softly. "I'm sure."

"Did he tell you that?" he asked. "That he's not even trying to win?"

Starscream made a derisive noise. "He didn't have to," he replied. He shrugged again, adding, "Maybe he doesn't even realize he's doing it. Maybe he tells himself he's doing everything he can – but he's not," he concluded, raising his helm to meet Thundercracker's optics, his expression grave.

"How do you know?" Thundercracker asked softly, holding his gaze.

"He makes mistakes," Starscream replied, his tone equally soft. "Tiny, insignificant, perfectly-avoidable mistakes."

Thundercracker frowned. "Everyone makes mistakes," he pointed out. "Even Megatron."

Starscream shook his helm. "Not like this," he said. "That weapon today – there was a flaw in its design. Megatron refused to let me review the specs. He knew it was there."

"The Constructicons were the ones who built it," he argued. "Maybe they screwed it up."

Starscream pushed away from him abruptly, huffing in exasperation.

"Even if Megatron _did_ know, he couldn't have known the Autobots would find out about it in time," Thundercracker persisted. "Unless you think he _told_ them – maybe he thought it was an acceptable risk!"

Starscream shook his helm angrily. "I should have known I was wasting my time," he muttered.

"I'm not saying you're wrong," Thundercracker said hastily, "I'm just saying there's no proof."

"No _proof?_" Starscream retorted, flinging his cube to the floor and rising up from the berth to round on him, his optics blazing. "There's _more_ than enough _proof_, but somehow _I'm_ the only one who can _see_ it! How _else_ do you explain why we continue to lose battle after battle, orn after orn? We should have conquered this pathetic planet within a _decacycle_, but instead – !"

Thundercracker drew back in surprise, stunned by his intensity. Starscream was literally trembling with rage, his vocalizer crackling in frustration.

"You're right," he said placatingly, subspacing his own nearly-full cube and raising his hands defensively. "We _should_ have. But that doesn't mean Megatron hasn't been trying –"

"_Trying?_" Starscream shrieked, practically piercing his audials. "Oh, he's been _trying_, all right! _That's_ why his plans have become increasingly ludicrous with each passing orn – have you forgotten that giant purple thing? – and why he didn't order the immediate destruction of our enemies' offline shells the moment we came out of stasis, why he hasn't deactivated a _single_ Autobot since – because he's been _trying!_"

He might have said more, but his vocalizer cut off sharply when Thundercracker reached out and grabbed his hand, halting his diatribe. Starscream stiffened at the touch, his optics narrowing, glaring down at him with ill-concealed loathing.

"I believe you," Thundercracker said quietly. "So what do you think we should do?"

Starscream stared at him in shock, too stunned by Thundercracker's concession to conceal his reaction. He endeavored to reply, his mouth open, his jaw working, but no words emerged from his vocalizer.

Thundercracker tugged at his arm, urging him to sit back down. "If Megatron's really not trying anymore, what do we do about it?" he asked.

Starscream sat down on the berth with a sudden _clank_, as if his primary support struts had been cut out from under him. He turned his helm to look at Thundercracker, his optics searching his faceplate.

What he found there, Thundercracker wasn't sure, but an astrosecond later Starscream turned his gaze away again, facing the wall opposite them. "I have to destroy him," he said softly. "It's the only way."

Thundercracker studied his profile carefully, taking in every detail of Starscream's face and posture, the tone of his voice. It was if he'd never seen Starscream before – as if the mech he'd known for vorns had suddenly been replaced by someone else.

He wasn't sure if Starscream was right about Megatron – it seemed both possible and unlikely – but he had no doubt that _Starscream_ believed it, and the realization left him reeling. Was _that_ what had been driving Starscream all this time? Not arrogance or ego – or at least, not _just_ ego – but dogged determination and a devotion to the Decepticon cause that ran far deeper than Thundercracker had ever guessed?

"No offense, Starscream," he said dryly, "but I don't think that approach is working."

Starscream stiffened, turning his helm sharply, pinning him with a withering glare.

"Well it _isn't_," he insisted. "You get slagged every time you try! And it's not just you – the Insecticons, the Triplechangers, the Combaticons – they've all tried! No one can beat him!"

Starscream huffed irritably, but seemed mollified; a small amount of tension eased from his frame. "I can defeat him," he said stubbornly. "I just…haven't yet."

"You've come closer than anyone else has," Thundercracker allowed, frowning thoughtfully. "If anyone can beat him, it's you. You're the only one who's got even half a chance of outsmarting him."

Starscream's lip components twitched into a grin, his optics flashing.

"But if it came down to a fight…he's just too strong," Thundercracker said, shaking his helm ruefully. "Even if you're right, even if he's not really trying to win the war anymore, we still have to do whatever he says."

He bowed his helm, recalling the terror he'd felt when he'd been at Megatron's mercy, his spark clenching in dread at the knowledge that he soon would be again. "Whatever he wants."

Starscream scoffed. "I can handle him," he said confidently, sounding more like the mech Thundercracker knew – arrogant bordering on insane.

"How can you say that?" he asked incredulously. "How many times has he put you in repair bay? You call that _handling_ him?"

"Megatron may be strong, but he has vulnerabilities," Starscream replied, leaning into him, his optics fixed on Thundercracker's. "Vulnerabilities that can be exploited."

Thundercracker tried to pull back from him, but there wasn't room – his wingtips scraped against the wall behind him, his cockpit bumping against Starscream's. "So getting slagged on a regular basis, that's all just a part of your master plan, is that it?"

"Yes," Starscream smirked, his hand coming to rest on Thundercracker's thigh plate. "That's it exactly."

The close press of Starscream's energy field was triggering his external proximity sensors in a way that was distinctly..._awkward_. His own field had already synched with it, and his circuits were beginning to heat up again, the urge to bond becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

_Not the time,_ he told himself firmly, praying Starscream hadn't detected the slight increase in his core temperature. _Really not the time._ Aloud he said, "Getting slagged is a _plan?_"

"Confronting Megatron is," Starscream replied, shifting against him. "Making his oh-so-subtle errors public knowledge, exposing his incompetence as a leader – he can beat me into submission, but he can't conceal the truth once I've revealed it."

"…right," Thundercracker replied, trying to tamp down on his growing arousal. He didn't want Starscream to think he wasn't paying attention – he might get fragged off again.

"As formidable as Megatron is, he only leads because others are willing to follow," Starscream continued in a low, husky tone far more appealing than his usual screech, "If they begin to doubt him, to question his ability to lead, Megatron will lose his hold over them…and they'll have no choice but to turn to _me._"

Pit, this was getting ridiculous. The desire to bond had _never_ been so intense. But that _had_ to be the reason it was taking every ounce of Thundercracker's concentration to keep his internal fans under control. He wasn't _attracted_ to Starscream, he never had been!

"Without his soldiers to back him, Megatron's power is meaningless," Starscream persisted, practically whispering into Thundercracker's audial. "If they choose to back _me_ instead, Megatron _will_ fall."

"…yeah," Thundercracker agreed distractedly, trying to figure out what the slag to do with his hands. He was getting hotter by the astrosecond, and Starscream was so fragging _close_... Clenching them into fists, Thundercracker pressed them firmly against his thigh-plates, striving to focus on something, _anything_ but the way Starscream was pressed against him, shifting minutely as he spoke.

It wasn't that Starscream wasn't _attractive_ – any mech with a functioning pair of optics could see _that_ – but he was _Starscream._ Any outward appeal he might have possessed was negated by his treacherous nature and caustic personality. Even when they'd bonded, Thundercracker had never sincerely _wanted_ Starscream – he'd appreciated him aesthetically, enjoyed the things Starscream did to him, but he'd never felt the overwhelming urge to throw him down on the berth and frag his struts off, the way he did right _now –_

"Of course once Megatron has fallen, I will require a new second in command to serve under me," Starscream was saying, his fingers tracing down the length of Thundercracker's cockpit. "Someone loyal to me. Someone I can trust. Someone who'll stand behind me."

_Slagging cooling fans,_ Thundercracker thought with chagrin. Overriding them in an effort to conceal his arousal had allowed his core temperature to rise unchecked, and by now there was no way Starscream could have failed to notice the intense _heat_ pouring off his frame. Thundercracker could feel it himself, pooling in his interface array, feel his spike pressing insistently against his panel, trying to extend –

Starscream drew back slightly, meeting his gaze, his optics dimmed and smoldering. "I think I'd enjoy having _you_ behind me," he said huskily. "Or on top of me," he allowed, his lip components quirking into a wicked grin. "Under me…" he continued, leaning in close to whisper in Thundercracker's audial, "_inside_ me…"

Oh, _frag._

Thundercracker groaned as Starscream's suggestive words and seductive tone stripped away every last vestige of his wavering self control, his internal cooling fans springing to life with a muted roar. He managed to override the command to retract his panel and free his spike at the cost of everything else, but he couldn't fend off the overwhelming _need_ coursing through his circuits, or hold back the lusty rumble that escaped his vocalizer.

He frowned faintly as Starscream moved to straddle his thighs, wondering why he was resisting at all. It wasn't as if he hadn't fragged Starscream before – he'd had him dozens of times, and not just in the company of Skywarp. Once 'Warp had been laid up in repair bay, and back on Cybertron, when Thundercracker had first joined the Decepticons, he and Starscream had 'faced regularly for nearly an orn before Skywarp became part of the trine.

The first time had been awkward as the Pit, but after that, it hadn't been bad. Thundercracker preferred his spike, Starscream his valve, so he'd had little cause to complain – even if Starscream _was_ a mouthy little fragger who screamed at him if Thundercracker didn't bend his ailerons hard enough.

_Nothing's changed,_ he thought, reaching for Starscream's wingtips and pinching them hard, the way Thundercracker knew that he liked. The act earned him an appreciative moan and the solid press of Starscream's cockpit against his own.

…but he still couldn't shake the feeling that what he was doing was wrong.

_I don't wanna share, TC._

Thundercracker's frame tensed under Starscream's roving hands, the memory of Skywarp's words echoing in his processor. 'Warp had known they couldn't be exclusive, not with Megatron exercising his rights as their commander, and their obligation to bond with Starscream for the sake of the trine, but underlying that knowledge had been a certain understanding, the acknowledgment that given the choice, they _would_ be.

He released his grip on Starscream's wings, lowering his hands slowly to his sides. _That_ was why he was resisting this. This little encounter had nothing to do with trine bonding, no matter what he might try to tell himself. He didn't _have_ to interface with Starscream tonight; they'd reestablished the bond only a few Earth days ago. He had a choice. He could say no.

A part of him definitely _wanted_ to frag Starscream, to pin him down and 'face him into the berth, to sink his spike deep into Starscream's hot, eager valve and ride him until he'd fried his circuits – but it wasn't because they needed to bond. It was because Starscream was _here_ – attractive, willing, and above all, _available_.

But he wasn't Skywarp.

His spark sank, suddenly consumed by a surge of loneliness and longing so intense it was almost overwhelming.

Starscream chose that moment to grope his panel, and Thundercracker's overheated systems were only too happy to respond, his panel retracting at the barest brush of Starscream's fingertips, his spike extending eagerly into his waiting hand.

Thundercracker bit back a groan as Starscream seized hold of him possessively, shifting on his lap as he stroked the length of Thundercracker's spike with a soft hum of approval.

The pleasure Thundercracker felt at his touch, the sheer, unadulterated _lust_ coursing through his circuits made it difficult to think clearly. _You shouldn't be doing this._ His hip plate shifted forward instinctively, his spike thrusting into Starscream's hand. _You're betraying 'Warp._

He groaned again as Starscream's hand on his spike began to pump faster, offlining his optics in consternation, torn between the conflicting demands of his interface drive and his spark.

How the frag had he ended up in this situation? He should be back in his quarters, 'facing with 'Warp –

_…oh._

_That_ was why he was here. Because Skywarp was with Megatron, not at Megatron's command, but at _'Warp's_ behest.

Suddenly the thought of 'facing Starscream seemed a lot more appealing.

Thundercracker reached for him again, stroking and fondling his wings, arching his backstruts and thrusting his spike more decisively into Starscream's hand, a low rumble of desire rising from deep in his chassis.

Starscream leaned back slightly, lifting his helm to meet Thundercracker's gaze, a faint smirk still tugging at his lip components. There was a soft _snick_ as Starscream's panel retracted, exposing his interface array. "I think we've established our vector," he said, giving Thundercracker's spike a gentle squeeze. "Frag me."

Thundercracker glanced down, taking in the sight of his extended spike, Starscream's waiting valve – and hesitated.

_Nothing's changed,_ he insisted. His spark clenched, clearly disagreeing.

He was betraying Skywarp.

_He betrayed me first._

He had a choice.

_So did 'Warp – he chose Megatron._

He shouldn't be doing this.

_Why the frag _not?

His internal fans were cycling rapidly, his core temperature hovering in the red, his circuits sparking with a heavy charge. His spike was fully extended, practically _throbbing_ with need. 'Warp was with Megatron, but Starscream was here. Attractive. Willing. Waiting.

_Stop thinking!_ he exhorted himself. _You think too slagging much!_

Thundercracker offlined his optics in surrender, shoving his guilt and uncertainty aside, replacing it with anger and lust. This wasn't wrong.

It was _fair._

Starscream's grip on his spike abruptly tightened – and not in a _good_ way. Biting back a cry of pain, Thundercracker onlined his optics to meet his gaze.

Starscream's lip components were compressed into a thin, angry line, his optics glowing a livid crimson. "That wasn't a _request_," he hissed venomously, giving Thundercracker's spike a vicious _yank_.

Thundercracker flinched, swallowing a pained grunt and shooting Starscream a puzzled, injured look. More bewildering than Starscream's sudden shift in mood was the apparent command he'd given – as his trineleader and commander, Starscream had every right to order Thundercracker to 'face him, but he'd never known Starscream to actually _exercise_ that right, with him or anyone else.

He'd never known Starscream to be angered by rejection, either – not that Thundercracker _had_ rejected him, _this_ time – but Starscream was obviously fragged off about _something_.

"R-right," he stammered awkwardly. "I mean…yes, sir."

A strange sense of relief flooded his circuits, and not just because Starscream's crushing hold on his spike finally eased. He'd been given an order. He had to obey.

Starscream pushed himself up off of Thundercracker's lap and turned his back on him, stalking over to his workstation with his wings held high and stiff, telegraphing anger with every stride.

Thundercracker watched him with bemusement from his seat on the berth, confused by this sudden turn of events. Had Starscream changed his mind..? Was he just going to throw him out of his quarters instead?

Starscream leaned forward to rest his elbows on the smooth metal surface, granting Thundercracker a clear, unobstructed view of his bared interface array. "Well?" he snapped peevishly over his shoulder-vent. "Hurry up!"

...evidently he hadn't.

Shaking his helm, Thundercracker rose and moved to join him, laying a tentative hand on Starscream's hip plate as he positioned his spike at the entrance to Starscream's valve.

That was when he noticed something was wrong.

When they'd interfaced in the past, Starscream had often voiced his apparent disdain, claiming boredom or disinterest, but physically speaking, he'd always been unquestionably eager, often producing enough lubricant to leave his thigh plates wet and glistening.

This time, they were completely dry.

Frowning, he slipped a cautious finger into Starscream's valve, withdrawing it again immediately when Starscream tensed and hissed at the invasion, flinching in sympathetic reaction.

"What do you think you're doing?" Starscream demanded. "I ordered you to frag me!"

"But…you're not ready," he protested. "Don't you want me to –?"

"What I _want_ is for you to _obey me!_" Starscream screeched, cutting him off. "Or is your _spike_ as defective as your audials?"

Thundercracker stiffened, stung by the barb. "All right, all right," he said, exasperated. "Primus."

Starscream had always been fairly bossy in the berth, but never like _this_. His entire frame was trembling, not with desire, but with barely-suppressed _rage._ Not wanting to anger him further, Thundercracker lined up his spike and jacked in.

He didn't get very far.

As he'd suspected, Starscream's valve was tight and poorly lubricated, resisting his entry. He barely breached the rim before his spike's progress was halted.

"Is there a problem?" Starscream snarled menacingly, his tone a clear warning.

"You sure you want to do this, Starscream?" he asked uncertainly. He knew Starscream had a preference for rough interfacing, but what he was demanding seemed beyond the pale even for _him_.

"Are you questioning my orders?" Starscream replied, his voice low and dangerous.

Thundercracker stared at him, nonplussed. "No," he said. "I mean…no, sir."

"Then do as I say!"

Thundercracker shook his helm, bemused. It was painfully obvious Starscream didn't want this, so why was he insisting they continue? Was he trying to make some kind of point..?

_It's some kind of test,_ he concluded. _He wants you to prove to him that he can trust you._

Cycling a heavy draft of air through his vents, he took hold of Starscream's hip plate with both hands, steadying himself. He'd have to be careful to move slowly to avoid damaging Starscream's valve, until it began producing enough lubricant to proceed normally.

Steeling himself, he pressed in as solicitously as he was able, trying not to wince as Starscream tensed beneath him, air hissing from his hydraulics as he braced against the invasion.

Thundercracker suppressed a grunt of discomfort as the barely-lubricated interior walls of Starscream's valve caught and dragged at his spike, inhibiting his progress. It was uncomfortable as the Pit, but it was working. He cycled another draft of air, feeling relieved. He could do this. He just had to take his time, and everything would be fine –

Starscream abruptly exploded into motion, lunging backward with a violent thrust of his hip plate and impaling himself on Thundercracker's spike, choking back a scream as it was forced deep into his unprepared valve.

Thundercracker's optics shot wide, staring at him in shock as Starscream shuddered beneath him, trembling in reaction. His spike was now buried to the hilt within Starscream's valve, the pressure surrounding it almost unbearable, and he had the disturbing suspicion the warm fluid he could feel seeping down his thigh plates was _not_ lubricant.

Nearly a klik passed before Starscream recovered enough to speak. "Well?" he demanded again, his vocalizer thick with static. "What are you waiting for?"

For an astrosecond Thundercracker stood frozen, too stunned to react, but he was prodded into motion when Starscream bumped his aft against him impatiently, causing him to roll his hips reflexively.

To his relief, his spike moved a bit more freely in Starscream's valve, the pressure around it easing slightly as Starscream adjusted to the intrusion. An uneasy shiver of pleasure ran through his circuits as Starscream shifted under him, his valve walls flexing around his spike.

The sensation made his hip plate twitch forward instinctively, giving a tentative, abortive thrust. Starscream tensed at the sudden movement, a strained hiss escaping his vocalizer. Thundercracker flinched, half-expecting him to protest, but instead Starscream pushed back against him, muttering, "Come on, _move._"

Thundercracker frowned, feeling more than a little disturbed. Starscream's valve was still uncomfortably tight, his internal cooling fans notably silent. He displayed none of the usual outward signs of arousal, yet he was continuing to urge Thundercracker on, despite every indication that even the smallest movement caused him pain.

It didn't make any _sense._ Why would Starscream want him to _hurt_ him?

"You're beginning to test my patience, Thundercracker," Starscream hissed menacingly, hostility rolling off him in near-palpable waves. "I'm going to give you a choice: you can either start moving in the next three astroseconds, or spend the next three cycles in the brig. Do I make myself clear?"

"…yes sir," he said reluctantly. For a Seeker, being grounded for that length of time was tantamount to torture. "Understood."

Starscream's unexpected intervention had torn his hip plate free of Thundercracker's hands, but he reclaimed his hold on it now, gripping it firmly as he initiated a series of slow, shallow thrusts. Starscream hissed and winced with every movement, but Thundercracker persisted nonetheless, feeling at odds with the slow rise of pleasure building within him with every stroke.

He shouldn't be _enjoying_ this. The fact that some part of him _was_ made Thundercracker feel vaguely sick, causing the fuel he'd recently consumed to lurch in his tanks. He did his best to ignore it, and quickened his pace.

Starscream grunted, clutching the edge of the workstation with an iron grip and rocking backward into his thrusts. "Is that the best you can do?" he sniped. "You're pathetic!"

Thundercracker stiffened at the insult, his rhythm faltering. He wasn't accustomed to being criticized for his technique. The only one who'd ever openly mocked him during an interface was –

_Don't think about _him! he thought desperately as the image of Steelwing rose up in his cache. _It's not the same, he's not hurting you. You're on top, you're the one in control._

But that only made it worse. _He_ was the one hurting _Starscream_, taking pleasure in his pain. His fuel tank roiled in disgust – was this how _Steelwing_ had felt? – and he suddenly found himself fighting to keep his spike extended, knowing full well that if he allowed it to retract, Starscream would never let him live it down –

"You call that interfacing?" Starscream goaded, his vocalizer dripping with disdain. "No wonder Skywarp turned to Megatron! You frag like an _Autobot!_"

A searing burst of anger burned through him at the reminder of Skywarp's betrayal, made him ram his spike into Starscream as hard as he was able, plunging it into his valve with punishing force. A threatening rumble emerged from his vocalizer, his optics flashing as he drove into Starscream again and again, relishing the way he shrieked in pain with every brutal thrust.

In that moment, he truly _hated_ Starscream, hated him for putting him in this situation, for making him question himself, for – for being slagging _Starscream._ His hip plate clanged against Starscream's aft as he pounded ruthlessly into his valve, wanting him to suffer, his circuits heating rapidly as he neared his peak –

"Harder!" Starscream gasped, shuddering beneath him, his vocalizer crackling with static. "_Harder!_"

Thundercracker complied, slamming into him with violent abandon, his hands tightening on Starscream's hip plate, hauling him back to meet each vindictive thrust. _Scream, you sick fragger,_ he thought savagely, reaching for one of Starscream's ailerons and giving it a vicious _twist_ –

"Nngh, _Megatron!_" Starscream moaned, jerking under him, his hip plate twitching, his valve spasming around Thundercracker's spike.

_Megatron?!_

Thundercracker recoiled in disgust, yanking his spike free of Starscream's valve to stare down at him in disbelief, his optics wide with revelation. "What is _wrong_ with you?" he demanded harshly.

His still-reeling CPU supplied the answer: Starscream was _using_ him, using him to dole out the punishment he'd been denied when Skywarp had diverted Megatron's attention! It was _Megatron_ Starscream wanted –

…wanted to _abuse_ him.

"What the frag is _wrong_ with you?" he repeated helplessly, his fuel tank churning in revulsion. Was that why _Skywarp_ had gone to Megatron, too? Because Megatron would brutalize him in a way that Thundercracker never would?

A sudden movement caught his optic, triggering his external proximity sensors, and he instinctively threw himself to the side, barely dodging in time when Starscream whirled and launched himself at him, his optics incandescent with rage.

He avoided the first blow, but wasn't quick enough to dodge the second – Starscream was _fast._ His fist connected solidly with Thundercracker's faceplate, knocking him back onto the berth, but Starscream kept coming, shrieking invective.

Thundercracker had only astroseconds to react, but his combat programming promptly took over, responding to the imminent threat, and he managed to bring his feet up in time, kicking out as Starscream lunged at him.

His heel-turbine slammed into Starscream's right shoulder-vent, spinning him around and sending him lurching back towards the workstation. Thundercracker shoved himself to his feet before he could recover, seizing Starscream from behind and trapping him in a crushing bearhug.

Starscream struggled in his grip, his arms pinned uselessly at his sides. "Let go of me!" he shrieked, planting his feet and bending forward at the waist in an effort to fling Thundercracker off.

Anticipating that response, Thundercracker threw his weight backward, arching his backstruts and lifting Starscream's feet clear off the floor, denying him the leverage he needed to escape.

In terms of physical strength, they were equally matched. Starscream was faster, but denied freedom of movement, he was effectively neutralized.

…or so Thundercracker thought.

Starscream kicked out in desperation, straining against his hold, and by some small stroke of luck managed to catch the edge of the workstation under his left heel-turbine, using it to arch himself upward, nearly breaking free of Thundercracker's grip.

Thundercracker reacted in time to prevent him from succeeding, hauling him back and away from the workstation, but the energon Starscream had spilled earlier cost him his footing. He slipped and stumbled backward, his grip on Starscream tightening reflexively as his gyrostabilizers spun wildly in an effort to restore his equilibrium.

For a moment they wobbled precariously, but then Starscream activated his antigravs. The sudden shift in weight caused Thundercracker's gyros to overcompensate, sending him tumbling backward onto the berth behind him with Starscream still in his arms.

He landed flat on his back with a jolt that rattled his plating, and an astrosecond later Starscream's full weight came crashing down on top of him, his backstrut slamming into Thundercracker's cockpit with a sickening _crack_.

Thundercracker grunted at the impact, a gust of hot air rushing from his vents, but managed to maintain his grip as he struggled to sit up – no small feat with Starscream still bucking and writhing in his grasp. Cursing, he renewed his hold, squeezing tighter in an effort to quell Starscream's frenzied struggles.

It worked, but not _quite_ as he'd intended.

Starscream's continued attempts to free himself had an unanticipated side effect, causing his aft to rub up against Thundercracker's still-extended spike as he kicked and fought. When Thundercracker grunted and twitched his hip plate forward in reaction, Starscream stilled abruptly, his frame going stiff in his arms.

For a tense moment, neither of them moved.

Thundercracker froze, torn by indecision. He didn't want to let go – he was fairly certain Starscream would just attack him again if he did – but having him pressed up against his sensitive interface components was…_distracting_, to say the least. He shifted slightly on the berth, trying to settle Starscream into a more comfortable position on his lap and relieve some of the not-entirely-unpleasant pressure on his spike, and was surprised when the movement elicited a soft gasp from the mech in his arms.

He was startled even further when Starscream braced his hands against his thigh-plates and _squirmed_ in a manner wholly different in intent than his previous bids for freedom.

It was around that time that Thundercracker noticed just how _hot_ Starscream's plating had become.

Compelled by an urge he didn't fully understand, Thundercracker leaned down to flick his glossa across Starscream's left aileron, a low, seductive rumble slipping from his vocalizer.

The sound of Starscream's internal cooling fans switching on nearly drowned out his soft, quiet moan, but it couldn't conceal the rush of liquid warmth Thundercracker felt against his exposed interface array, or the way Starscream's hip plate shifted upward in invitation.

Thundercracker eased carefully down off the berth, lowering Starscream gently to the floor and settling onto his knees behind him, his arms still wound tightly around his waist components. Starscream moaned again as he entered him, his backstruts arching, his hip plate rising to welcome him as Thundercracker's spike slid smoothly into his valve.

Thundercracker began to thrust, his movements slow and controlled, pressing in and withdrawing at a steady, unhurried pace. Starscream's intakes hitched, another soft moan escaping his vocalizer as he rocked back against him, lifting his hip plate to meet each stroke.

There was no resistance now, no drag on his spike; Starscream's valve was slick and ready for him, warm and yielding. Thundercracker quickly found his rhythm, savoring the way it flexed around him, giving way to his firm, decisive thrusts.

Starscream was moaning continuously now, squirming in his arms, vocalizing soft cries of pleasure as he pushed back into his thrusts, forcing Thundercracker's spike deeper into his valve, his wings shivering enticingly as he shuddered with sensation.

Thundercracker rumbled approvingly, his cooling fans humming in counterpoint as his near-aborted arousal returned with a vengeance. He began to thrust faster, relishing the ecstatic cries he elicited from Starscream with every pump of his hips, pleasure coursing through his circuits – _this_ was how it was supposed to be.

Starscream was panting heavily though his intakes, his hip plate jerking in time with Thundercracker's thrusts, his hands clutching at Thundercracker's forearms as he shuddered and moaned, his movements becoming increasingly urgent, almost frantic. His static-laden cries grew in pitch and volume, taking on a tone of near-desperation as Thundercracker plunged into him again and again, driving him steadily closer to the brink.

Something about the way Starscream was shaking beneath him, the way his vocalizer quavered as he gave voice to his pleasure made Thundercracker strengthen his hold, his arms tightening around Starscream's waist components and crushing him hard against his cockpit, a low rumble welling up from somewhere deep within him, vibrating against Starscream's backstrut as he speeded his thrusts. He was agonizingly close, but Starscream was closer, his valve flexing wildly as Thundercracker pounded into him, swift and relentless.

Starscream shrieked as he overloaded, his valve clenching around Thundercracker's spike hard enough to make him falter in his rhythm, but he continued to thrust into him for as long as he was able, prolonging Starscream's pleasure until the spasming of his valve became too intense to ignore and dragged him over the edge. He overloaded with a deep grunt, emptying himself into Starscream's valve, rumbling as its fading throes drained him dry.

He tried his best to ignore the way Starscream's cries of pleasure morphed into wrenching, static-laden sobs as he overloaded, or the way he trembled in his arms in the aftermath as they sank to the floor in sated exhaustion, their intakes laboring. Throughout it all, Thundercracker's grip on him remained solid and unwavering, his hands clasped firmly across Starscream's cockpit, his fingers laced and interlocked, trapping his arms at his sides, holding him tight and close, held captive in a fierce embrace.

They stayed like that for nearly a quarter of a joor, until Starscream's trembling gradually began to subside, and his sobs quieted to muffled whimpers.

Even then, Thundercracker didn't let go.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for the semi-abrupt ending; I plan to include the conclusion of this scene as a part of the Starscream-centric longfic I intend to write once _"After Atlantis"_ is complete, so I couldn't include it here. Knowing Starscream, you can probably guess how things turned out...


End file.
